Recent Work and Themes: Grounded, 2022
I had a wonderful Solo show in December 2021 at Gallery 11:11 in Epping, called Drawn to Nature, that included a number of floral and landscape works from the previous years. It was a bright and cheerful show, celebrating our release from the many lockdowns of 2020 and 2021.
In 2022 I worked on a quite different theme - Grounded - featuring earth colours and studies of rocks, stones, tree roots and textures. Stones, sand, mud, shells and pebbles have always fascinated me. I used to make mud pies as a child, and collect stones that I would grind up, or try to draw with on other stones or even use them to try to make 'paint'. I love the earth colours, and working with earth pigments, to this day. This series of work celebrates the earth palette. Yellow ochre, raw Sienna, burnt Sienna, raw umber, burnt umber, Indian red along with a few higher chroma colours for greater impact, and plenty of Jane's Grey and Jane's Black.
I frame all my original in archival mounts and use Clarity glass so all the detail can be seen :-)
The exhibition Grounded opened on the 3rd December and ran until Saturday 17th December at Gallery 11:11, North Epping, Sydney.
In 2023 I concentrated on creating my fourth online course - Drawing in Detail - which is now available. I am also updating the watercolour swatches shown in the Resources section of this website.
In 2022 I worked on a quite different theme - Grounded - featuring earth colours and studies of rocks, stones, tree roots and textures. Stones, sand, mud, shells and pebbles have always fascinated me. I used to make mud pies as a child, and collect stones that I would grind up, or try to draw with on other stones or even use them to try to make 'paint'. I love the earth colours, and working with earth pigments, to this day. This series of work celebrates the earth palette. Yellow ochre, raw Sienna, burnt Sienna, raw umber, burnt umber, Indian red along with a few higher chroma colours for greater impact, and plenty of Jane's Grey and Jane's Black.
I frame all my original in archival mounts and use Clarity glass so all the detail can be seen :-)
The exhibition Grounded opened on the 3rd December and ran until Saturday 17th December at Gallery 11:11, North Epping, Sydney.
In 2023 I concentrated on creating my fourth online course - Drawing in Detail - which is now available. I am also updating the watercolour swatches shown in the Resources section of this website.
'Pebbles, Seattle' watercolour
This is Pebbles, Seattle a watercolour and watercolour pencils study of a collection of stones. The original has sold, but limited edition Giclée prints are available $165. Image size is 28.5 x 22cm.
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'Seattle Pebbles II' watercolour
This slightly larger version of the same pebble collection is Seattle Pebbles II. The image size is 32 x 21cm. I love creating these really detailed studies, capturing the texture and colour of the stones. Framed original $1100, Limited edition prints $165 unframed.
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'Snow gum III' watercolour
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I have created three slightly different variations of this painting of a snow gum in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales. I sketched this tree on location on my birthday one year, as I just loved the shape and colours. I've worked with the photos I took and the original sketch to create the three paintings, making each just slightly different in colour emphasis. Image size is 37 x 54.7cm - A2 paper size. $3050. Available in a limited edition Giclée print for $290 in this size or a double sized (full sheet watercolour paper size) print for $530. |
'Grounded'. Ink and watercolour
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I have loved this Morton Bay Fig since I first saw it as a teenager. It has featured in sketches, etchings, book illustrations and paintings ever since. It is located in the Botanic Gardens, Sydney, opposite the Museum. This larger study on a full sheet of watercolour paper was drawn and painted in minimal colour, emphasising the tones. Ink and Watercolour, mostly Jane's Grey and Jane's Black with a little raw umber and burnt umber. Image size 52.4 x 71.4cm on a full sheet of watercolour paper. $5650. This one is available as a limited edition print in either this subtle colour or in black and white for $525. |
'River Stones, Daintree'. Watercolour.
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I had a wonderful trip to the Daintree a few years ago and did a number of sketches on location. I also took photos of the texture of the ground, as I often do, and this collection of stones on the edge of a river. I worked with a dip pen and watercolour to draw each stone. I chose to leave one corner just sketched, not painted. Image size 52.4 x 71.4cm on full sheet of watercolour paper. Framed original $5650. Limited edition Giclée print $530. |
'Pebbles III' watercolour.
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This is a much larger version of the stones and pebbles, painted image size 57.5 x 41cm (A2 size paper). I like the way the same colours appear over and over in a collection of stones from a particular place. $3560. Also available as a limited edition Giclée print $290. It looks amazing printed double sized on canvas. |
While working the the theme of Grounded, I was also exploring textures found in nature and on man-made objects. I began with the texture of Rust, verdigris, or tree bark. Using these images as a starting point and exaggerating the colours is taking me into a new direction - based on reality, but not realistic. I am also working much larger, on huge sheets of 640gsm paper framed without glass.
'Rust, Transposed' watercolour, ink, watercolour pencil, pastel and gouache.
This is a very large diptych, created on two sheets of double size watercolour paper. Each panel is 76.5 x 106cm. It is watercolour with ink, watercolour pencil, pastel and gouache. It was sprayed with a UV spray to protect the pigments, then painted with three layers of an acrylic varnish to protect the paper so it could be framed without glass. The original image is derived from a rusted bollard, but has been transposed by turning it 90 degrees, stretching it and adjusting the colours. The result could be an imaginary landscape, but it open to interpretation. The original sold but it looks fabulous printed as a giclée print and I've also printed is as a 1 metre x 3 metre panel on canvas. Price for limited edition print of both panels on paper is $1860 unframed, or $3010 framed as a diptych as shown. Printed on canvas as a diptych, unframed $$2150.
I am also doing original prints of this diptych - reworking the Giclée print with more ink and pastel pencil to add more intensity and detail to certain areas. These are all unique images. $4500 framed.
I am also doing original prints of this diptych - reworking the Giclée print with more ink and pastel pencil to add more intensity and detail to certain areas. These are all unique images. $4500 framed.
'Leaves, Beechworth'. Watercolour.
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'Glistening Stones, Kiama'. Watercolour. (Sold. Prints available)
'Leaves, Beechworth' is A3 sized, and a pure watercolour study. Available as an original $1200 and a limited edition print $170 unframed. It can also be rotated 90 degrees anti clockwise and printed in portrait format.
'Glistening Stones, Kiama' is also painted in watercolour on A3 paper. $1100 Also available as a Giclée print in landscape format as shown $165 or rotated 90 degrees clockwise. |
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'Angophora, November' is the sister painting to Snow Gum above. I love the gorgeous orange colour of these Sydney Red Gums in November when the bark has fallen. The hint of jacarandas are visible on the right. This is an unusually colour scheme - a secondary triad - and though based on a real Sydney cluster of trees near my home, I have removed the boats, houses and sheds that normally surround them.
A2 size, painted to the edges of the paper. $3880 framed. Also available as a limited edition Giclée print $320. Double sized print (full sheet watercolour paper size) $530 unframed. |
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This page was last edited October 2023.
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